This invention relates to solenoid-operated control apparatus and, more particularly, to an improved solenoid operated control valve of reduced height and size which may be utilized in confined spaces and easily maintained.
Solenoid control apparatus has been used for years for a variety of purposes, in innumerable locations and under diverse operating conditions. Solenoid control valves are particularly suited for use in hydronic, zone-controlled systems for heating and cooling homes and business establishments. Such systems utilize a closed arrangement of pipes for transferring heat, in a controlled manner, by means of a circulated fluid, almost always water, to different rooms or zones in a home or building. Such systems are equipped with a plurality of valves which respond to temperature variations within a zone or several zones either to permit the circulation or restrict the circulation of fluid to the piping in one or more such zones. While such valves function well, their size and construction present difficulties, at times, with respect to their placement in restricted areas and to their disassembly and maintenance.
In all instances known to the applicant solenoid control valves have the core of the solenoid in axial alignment with the plunger which is reciprocably operated by the solenoid. For example, U. S. Pat. No. 3,610,523 discloses a hydronic, zone-controlled temperature conditioning system which makes use of a number of solenoid control valves. The patent describes several modifications of such valves which function well, but, because of the aforementioned design and construction, are difficult to install in restricted spaces and inconvenient to disassemble and service.